AHS S130 Coal Gun : Ash cycle time

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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Fri. May. 11, 2018 7:40 am

I finally got around to ball-parking the time it takes my ash sled to make one full trip (out and back), and it appears that it is right close to 90 seconds. Next time around I'll have the stopwatch in hand and pin this down more precisely. This is for the (older and not current) chain drive ashing mechanism.

If anyone has the newer direct drive ashing with cycle modulating timer(s), it would be interesting to hear how long yours takes to make one full round trip cycle. And if you ever find any need to or advantage in changing this time cycle.

It would also be interesting to hear from some AA guys as to the time you have chosen as working best overall, as it is my understanding that the AA's can vary this time cycle.

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Fri. May. 11, 2018 9:50 am

Yes, the A A can be adjusted by the number of cliks on the ratchet pawl. I would expect you could adjust yours by motor speed/gear ratios.

 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Sat. May. 12, 2018 8:32 am

On the Axeman Anderson 130M this can be calculated by determining the auger RPM and how many ashing teeth are turned per revolution.

Motor runs at 1725 RPM, drive pulley is 3.5", driven pulley is 3". This give us a 1:1.2 ratio and 1012.5 RPM to the gearbox.

The gearbox is a 50:1 ratio so the output is 40.25 RPM. The gearbox sprocket has 9 teeth and the auger sprocket has 45 teeth giving a 5:1 ratio.

40.25 RPM divided by 5 equals 8.05 RPM for the auger. The auger has a cam lobe on it that pushes the ashing lever down once per auger revolution. The bottom of the ashing lever pushes a 44 tooth sprocket a few teeth at a time.

The 44 tooth sprocket is attached to a rod that internally moves the grate back and forth. A normal setting is 2 or 3 teeth, some may use up to 4 teeth.

If I did all this right, a setting of 2 ashing teeth should equal 177.1 minutes for one full grate cycle. 3 teeth would be 118.07 minutes.

Wow, that was a bit more complicated to figure out than I thought it would be! :lol:

WAIT! That can't be right. I know it doesn't take 2 hours for the grate to travel back and forth. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

-Don


 
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Post by StokerDon » Sat. May. 12, 2018 8:48 am

OK, I screwed up the RPM and minute part in the calculation above.

8.05 RPM times 2 teeth equals 16.1 ashing teeth per minute. To go one full cycle of 44 teeth is 2.73 minutes.

3 teeth would be 24.15 teeth per minute and 1.82 minutes.

There we go, that sounds more reasonable.

-Don

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Tue. May. 15, 2018 4:20 pm

Stopwatch says: 105 seconds (or 1.75 minutes, or 1 minute and 45 seconds).

My 90 second ballpark guess was hardly in the ballpark.

 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Thu. May. 17, 2018 7:01 pm

That's just a little bit faster than the Axeman on 3 teeth. I have read that 3 teeth on the Axeman is a setting you would use if the boiler was under a heavy load.

That would make me think that perhaps your AHS might be able to run a bit less ashing time?

-Don


 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. May. 17, 2018 7:28 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Thu. May. 17, 2018 7:01 pm
That's just a little bit faster than the Axeman on 3 teeth. I have read that 3 teeth on the Axeman is a setting you would use if the boiler was under a heavy load.

That would make me think that perhaps your AHS might be able to run a bit less ashing time?

-Don
As it is, ashing time is only a fraction of fan running time, and ashing only occurs on about every third fan running cycle (give or take). Isn't this how the AA's run also?

 
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StokerDon
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Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Thu. May. 17, 2018 7:45 pm

I think of this as two different things;
1) Ashing speed, that is how fast the grate moves.
2) Ashing temperature, that is when and how long it ashes.

I have not been able to notice a correlation between a specific amount of firing times and ashing. Ashing is definitely just a fraction of fan run time though.

-Don

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. May. 17, 2018 7:54 pm

The AA seems quite similar in overall operation. I guess if I was rambunctious enough I could install a smaller sprocket and remove a few chain links accordingly to slow it down even more. But it has worked well enough "as is" for this long, so.... ???

 
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StokerDon
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Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Thu. May. 17, 2018 8:18 pm

Oh, it's not adjustable. I didn't know that. In that case I would leave it.

Besides, you get better fuel mileage out of that AHS than just about anybody else!

-Don

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